A Masquerader's Ball
by Celipi
Summary: The Titans are invited to attend a charity ball on Halloween night, but when things start to go wrong, can the team figure it out before it's too late? BBRae and minor RobStar.
1. Part I

**A/N:** I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only and I (sadly) do not gain any monetary value for it.

* * *

Anyone who threw some fancy charity shindig on Halloween night had to be either really creepy or seriously hate real fun. Beast Boy had thought so the moment Robin told them about the formal invitation and he couldn't help but think the same thing now. It wasn't even a costume party and looking around at the ornate columns, hand-painted ceiling, and the string quartet performing from a low balcony, he quickly decided on the latter. Their hostess, known as Madame Jaqueline Parise, had greeted them with a strange mixture of admiration, delight, and frustration, though the last was probably due to Raven's oh-so-charming lack of proper praise at the high class atmosphere. It didn't take long for her to move on to other guests and the Titans were left to wander about on their own.

"Remember to be on your best behavior tonight," Robin had reminded everyone before being dragged off by a pastel purple clad Starfire.

Beast Boy was pretty sure the comment had been meant for him. Cyborg headed off quickly afterwards, only mentioning a bacon wrapped something or other, which left Beast Boy standing beside Raven, whose face was already graced with her signature scowl. He waited at least a full minute, to make sure no one came back, before finally turning to her.

"So, Rae, may I have this dance?" Beast Boy extended a green hand out to his teammate with the most enticing look he could muster, one eyebrow raised and a toothless grin, save the fang that always made itself known. Without the ridiculous expression, the offer might have been considered a bit romantic.

"I don't dance," Raven replied, not even glancing at him before gliding off towards the other side of the room.

Beast Boy's ears drooped and his expression briefly lost its sparkle. "Strike one," he muttered to himself, watching her wander about the perimeter of the room. He was still a bit surprised she'd come, even though Robin had told them it was mandatory. He was even more surprised when she'd gone shopping with Starfire earlier in the week, though she hadn't shown anyone the results of said trip upon their return home, choosing to instead to sneak into her room while Starfire distracted everyone with the glittering ball gown she'd chosen. At the time, Beast Boy had assumed Raven didn't want anyone to see the atrocious thing Starfire must've picked out for her. Now, even though she'd rejected him for the moment, Beast Boy was happy to see Raven in something so unusually fitting. It looked for all the world as if she'd taken the night sky and simply wrapped it around herself, then topped it off with a shawl both deep and bright blue to hide some of the stars' shimmer. His own tux felt awkward and confining and he tried to loosen his tie a bit while no one was looking.

"BB!" Cyborg slapped him on the back, causing Beast Boy to almost choke himself in his tie adjustment attempt. He held a half-full plate of hors d'oeuvres in his other hand. "Where's Rave?"

Beast Boy coughed and let go of the tie before nodding towards the far end of the room where a couple of large glass doors were open to the view of the back gardens. "Think she went outside."

"Scared her off already, did ya?"

"Dude, I just asked her to dance!"

Cyborg snorted in amusement and shook his head. "Why don't you just tell her the truth already?"

"Uh, because she's Raven."

"She doesn't hate you, man."

Beast Boy didn't answer, choosing instead to examine his shiny dress shoes. The quartet began to play a waltz.

"I think you might be surprised."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Beast Boy looked up again to stare at his friend accusingly.

"No." Cyborg sent down a challenging stare of his own. "I just pay attention, green bean. Kinda like how I figured you out."

Beast Boy looked back towards the outside doors. "No one can figure her out," he muttered.

"Doubt that."

They stood in silence for a moment, both watching the crowd and thinking until Cyborg let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"Our fearless leader teaching Star to waltz."

Beast Boy turned to see Robin wince in pain as Starfire stepped on his foot, apparently not for the first time. Her gasp of horror echoed across the room and she quickly picked him up in an attempt to see if she'd broken something this time. Beast Boy wished he had a camera. The picture would be great blown up and mounted in the Main Ops room for everyone to see.

Just as he turned to tell Cyborg his new greatest idea ever, the entire room went dark. Beast Boy heard a sound like air rushing past them beneath the various screams of surprise and a thud that surely meant Robin had returned to the ground. Before he could react, the lights returned and he turned in confusion to look around for the source of the sudden disturbance.

"I don't like this," Cyborg admitted, his cybernetic eye scanning the crowd. "Go get Raven back in here. I don't see Robin or Star anywhere."

Beast Boy looked over to where the two had been dancing earlier to see nothing but a horde of confused party guests. "I can go find them—"

"B, just go get Raven," Cyborg huffed before wandering off into the crowd.

Beast Boy hesitated for a moment, watching Cyborg leave with a defiant frown on his face, before heading towards the back doors. The crowd quickly resumed their previous activities, the light trick being dismissed as nothing to worry over, which meant no one paid him any mind as he headed outside and into the cool night.

He spotted Raven leaning up against the railing on the patio, facing the gardens with the blue shawl pulled up over her head and bunched up around her arms like a thin blanket. Beast Boy approached cautiously, figuring she would sense him fidgeting behind her anyway, but definitely not taking any chances.

"I haven't changed my mind," she announced without turning.

"I know." He stepped forward to join her against the railing. "You didn't hit the lights just to freak everyone out, did you?"

Raven turned towards him this time. "Why would I do that?"

He shrugged. "Maybe my sense of humor finally rubbed off on you."

She snorted loudly in response and turned back to face the gardens. "I was down there when I noticed," she gestured to a bench further down. "By the time I came up here, everything seemed fine."

Beast Boy watched her, noting the slightly strained expression on her face, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It wasn't like Raven to just dismiss potential trouble, especially if it meant her getting out of something as undesirable as a party. "You okay, Rae?" he ventured.

She ignored his question, turning around to face the party inside and letting the shawl fall off of her head. "Let's just hope we don't have to fight anyone in this ridiculous attire."

"At least yours is better than mine." Beast Boy tugged at the tie again, this time successfully managing to loosen it considerably.

"So, you'd prefer the dress?"

"No way, dude! I just don't like formal wear."

"Right, it's too clean for your taste."

He narrowed his eyes. "I wash my clothes."

"Regularly?"

Beast Boy harrumphed in indignation. His hatred for laundry was no secret, but he'd definitely gotten better at it. "I'll have you know—"

Raven shushed him and tensed a second before the lights inside turned off once more. Beast Boy heard the rush of air again, his ears twitching as they tried to follow the sound. He was almost afraid to go back in, but followed once Raven began to step towards the entrance. It was almost more startling when the lights came back, revealing the distressed guests still spread out on the dance floor.

"Maybe this is just some kinda Halloween prank?" Beast Boy suggested, failing to see anything out of place.

"No..."

"Rae! B!"

Beast Boy turned to find Cyborg pushing past partygoers to get to them.

"Where's Robin and Starfire?" Raven asked him.

"They're not here. It's like they just disappeared."

"That's what I was afraid of," Raven stated, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. "They're here, somewhere. I can sense them, but it's like they're not even awake."

"You think someone's got 'em knocked out somewhere?" Cyborg questioned.

"Um, guys," Beast Boy interrupted, "I don't think they're the only ones."

A frantic looking woman in red was rushing around, her head turning back and forth as if she was desperate to find something, or someone. A man cried out for a girl named Penelope, getting louder once no one responded. Even the people who weren't currently searching for their missing friends began to turn about nervously. A couple dressed in blue and gold headed for the door, only to be met with a man in black talking into a Bluetooth and the distressed hostess herself, patiently reassuring them.

"So, I guess this means party's over?" Beast Boy quipped. The sudden tension in the room made him nervous.

"Sorry, B. I think this party is just getting started," Cyborg stated.

The quartet began to play another song, but no one seemed willing to dance.


	2. Part II

**A/N:** I do not own the Teen Titans, etc. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

"Alright, if we're gonna find everyone, we need to figure out how they're being taken in the first place," Cyborg began.

"It could be ghosts," Beast Boy suggested. He felt a shiver run down his spine and secretly hoped Raven would point out how stupid the idea was.

"B, just because it's Halloween doesn't mean the perp is a ghost."

"Why not?"

"Arguing will not help us," Raven stated harshly, sensing the start of an unnecessary squabble. "We need to keep calm and look out for anything suspicious."

"I've already looked everywhere. There's nothing in this ballroom," Cyborg explained.

"Then, maybe we need to ask our hostess for directions."

"You sayin' she's responsible for all this?"

"I don't know," Raven admitted, "but she seems especially nervous." She gestured up to Madame Parise, who was speaking in hushed tones to a group of her security guards.

"Yeah, so's everyone else," Beast Boy added.

"Alright, then." Cyborg looked at Raven. "Let me talk to Miss Parise, since she doesn't seem to like you very much. You see if you can get anything out of the guests. Maybe there's some connection we're not seein'."

"Want me to come with, Cy? I can be quite the charmer," Beast Boy asked, ruffling his hair just a bit.

Raven made a sound like cross between a groan and a snarl. "Just go search the area again. See if there's anything Cyborg might've missed."

Beast Boy didn't get a chance to reply before Raven headed off in the direction of one of the guests.

"Told ya," Cyborg taunted before sauntering off to meet Madame Parise.

Beast Boy stared after the two for a moment, not entirely sure what it was he'd done this time. He really needed to learn to figure out that whole thinking before speaking thing. Although, he probably still would've gotten this one wrong. Maybe someday he'd convince Robin to teach him some of those super-secret detective skills. Giving up his most recent blunder as a lost cause, Beast Boy shrugged and morphed into a mouse.

He started by working his way around the perimeter of the room, sniffing and looking out for anything strange, though it was hard to tell what that might be in a place like this. He wasn't exactly familiar with fancy mansions and ballrooms. Still, he worked carefully, even managing to avoid causing too much of a ruckus in his rodent form. He only stopped when he heard Cyborg a few feet away.

"Listen, we just thought it would help if we knew how everyone might be getting out."

"There's nothing like that. Nothing that I know of," Madame Parise insisted.

"Maybe you could just show me around? If there's anything there, I'll find it."

Beast Boy heard her sigh. He knew he should've helped out and was about to change back to his handsome self before he heard Cyborg again.

"Please, Jacqueline?"

She let out another sigh. "Okay. I'll have Carl escort you around."

Beast Boy squeaked in a surprised manner. He supposed the Madame must have a thing for tall, mechanical black men. He pressed on, albeit a bit more cautious as he moved towards the center of the room. He'd found nothing at all so far and was beginning to think Raven had just asked him to look around so she could get rid of him. That was fine. He'd do double the work and go do her job too. He scampered over to where he'd seen Raven last, stopping only once he heard a slightly hysterical woman speaking.

"You need to find him! I bet anything this is some sort of terrible plot. That's what you do, isn't it? Deal with these kinds of things?" The woman didn't pause to allow Raven to answer. "My husband was on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, you know. They're probably after his research!"

"What was he researching?" Raven asked, her tone indicating she was less than pleased with the current conversation.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Something big I can assure you. I don't just go telling every second rate hero about it."

"That doesn't explain why my fiancée is missing!" a deep male voice interrupted. "We're supposed to be married next month. How on earth would she be involved in some sort of crazy plot?"

"Well, I'm sure I don't know."

Beast Boy could hear Raven's exasperated sigh from where he stood and quickly decided it would be in his best interest to get back to doing anything else. He didn't really want to be the one she vented her frustration out on. He began his search a bit more vigorously than before, holding up one of his ears against the floor in various spots around the room. His ears twitched when he heard a sound like an air current beneath them. He inched forward a bit and listened again. Though faint, the sound persisted. He was about to change back when he felt himself being lifted up unceremoniously by the tail. He squeaked and squirmed as he was carried off to the far end of the room. Before reaching the wall, he felt gravity resume its pull on him and morphed back to his human form before crashing to the floor.

"Please tell me you've got something," Raven droned, apparently unwilling to provide any explanation or apology for dropping him.

"Maybe. You kind of interrupted something, y'know," Beast Boy complained.

"You had time to eavesdrop. I figured you were done."

He frowned. "Well, I figured I could help."

"Beast Boy."

"Fine, there might be something under the floor. I heard air."

"Air?"

"Yeah, air."

She sighed. Another waltz began to play.

"I think Cyborg is checking out the other rooms. I heard him talking to Madame Parise," Beast Boy offered.

"Well, at least that's helpful. I can't see any connection between the people who are missing."

"D'you think there's really an evil plot?"

"Probably not in the way they think."

"It could still be ghosts."

She shot him a warning glare. "Beast Boy, even it if it were ghosts, we have no way of finding them and we don't know why only certain people are disappearing. Some people are missing husbands and betrotheds while others are saying entire couples and groups of people have gone. It doesn't make any sense."

Beast Boy's ears twitched. He knew this song from when Rita taught him to dance. He'd always found it sort of sad, but really pretty. The string quartet sure seemed to play a lot of waltzes.

"Rae," he said suddenly. "Dance with me."

"Beast Boy, this is hardly the time."

"No, I have an idea. Just c'mon." He reached out a hand towards her.

She looked up at him curiously, probably sensing that he was being a bit more serious than usual. With a roll of her eyes that was most likely more for show than anything else, she gave him her hand and let him lead her out to the center of the room. No one else seemed interested in dancing, so they had plenty of room as Beast Boy guided them in a weak attempt at dance steps he hardly remembered.

She followed with a surprising grace and he cracked a smile, hoping to elicit at least a smirk from her as they danced. She shook her head slightly, which was close enough. If his suspicions were right, she'd definitely be impressed. If not, at least he got to dance with her. He tried his hardest to memorize the feel of her hand in his and the curve of her waist while still remembering the dance. It was difficult, but he managed. For a moment, he even forgot the reason she'd agreed to dance with him in the first place and simply wished the song wouldn't end. He chanced a glance at her eyes, which were looking straight at him. He definitely hadn't expected that.

Before he could comment, their surroundings went dark. He heard a scream and the same rush of air and then felt a strange pressure, almost like the time he had turned into a bug and Star accidentally vacuumed him up.

The next thing he knew, he was being tossed against a wall.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

He heard Raven's mantra and opened his eyes to find that both of them were currently being shielded while a strong current tried to push them along a hallway. He looked around frantically, but even with his superior night vision, he couldn't make out anything but the blue shawl and the sparkle on Raven's dress. Soon enough, the air current stopped and Raven dropped the shield.

"Where are we?"

"You tell me," Raven answered.

He paused to look around. There was no source of light anywhere, but he guessed they were in some sort of basement hallway. "Underneath the ballroom?" he asked. "It worked?"

She nodded. "I'm not sure who's more surprised. Can you see anything?"

"Kind of," he replied, shifting so he could stand up.

"Then lead the way."

He turned to face the direction the air had been trying to bring them. He could make out the shape of a door at the end of the hallway and began to make his way towards whatever was behind it.


	3. Part III

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait on this part. I definitely intended to put it up earlier, but being sick made me pretty loopy.

Anyway, as always I do not own the Teen Titans, etc.

* * *

Beast Boy could still hear a soft current of air pushing past them in between each click of Raven's heels against the hard stone floor. They'd been walking for far longer than he'd expected. The door had only led them down another dark hallway, which had twisted and turned so many times he'd lost count. Luckily, the heavy wind that had first assaulted them hadn't come back yet.

"D'you sense anything now?" Beast Boy asked. He had honestly expected to find something at this point.

"Same as before," Raven answered.

He groaned.

"I already told you earlier that you could scout ahead."

"But you might get lost."

"Down a hallway?"

"Well, you'd get scared."

She was silent for a moment before replying, "Are you scared, Beast Boy?"

"No," he lied. He could hear her smirk. "I'm not," he insisted.

"You remember I'm an empath, right?"

"Duh. I just think this hallway is creepy."

"Well, nothing is creepier than me. So, stop worrying."

He almost stopped walking. She still remembered that? "That's not true. Lots of things are creepier than you."

"Thanks."

"No, I mean…" He paused. He didn't really know how to explain himself out of this one. "You're not dark underground hallway creepy," he tried to clarify.

"Which means...?"

"I mean…C'mon, Rae! There's a big difference between spooky hallways and evil plots creepy and you. You're not scary," he paused, "well, when you're not mad at me anyway."

She didn't respond. Hurriedly, he tried again.

"You don't..." he exhaled. "Sometimes, I think maybe you just lock yourself up in your dark room 'cause you think being creepy will make people leave you alone, but," he paused, "it doesn't really and I think you know I'm never gonna leave you alone. You're one of my best friends, Rae, and I care about you. I—"

He stopped his tongue just in time and tried again.

"I trust you, Rae," he said, softening the confession.

Her heels stopped clicking and he turned to look back at her, almost fearing that she'd disappeared. "Rae?"

"I…" she began. He could just make out her face in the darkness, screwed up as if confused by something. "I think we're close," she finally whispered. She began walking again and brushed past him. Her arm was warm against his.

He followed her lead until she stopped a few feet away. She turned to face the wall and he waited.

"There's something through here. On your right."

He leaned over and pressed his ear up against the wall, almost jumping back when he heard voices on the other side. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but they didn't sound like anyone he knew.

"How do we get in?" he asked.

She grabbed his arm and phased them through.

Once the cool sensation of her powers left him, Beast Boy looked around and was at least relieved that he could see this time. The room they'd entered was fairly large and in the center was a spiraling circle of silvery blue light that rose up almost to the ceiling. He was mesmerized by it. A few times, he could almost make out faces staring back at him, but they were gone before he could point them out.

Raven made a small noise of surprise beside him and he turned to see her running towards the far side of the room, stopping only to kneel down in front of a hunched over figure in a pastel purple gown and a man in a fancy looking tux.

"Star? Rob?" Beast Boy stepped forward as the realization hit, but heard the rush of air once more and felt a sense of dread creep down his spine. The hair on the back of his neck rose. He turned to face the center of the room again, standing between his friends and the column of light.

He almost screamed at the sight before him. They were definitely staring at him now. Every single face had kept its shape and watched him with a sickening grin. Some of them had smiles screwed up beyond what should be possible while others showed nothing but teeth. He could hear the voices distinctly now, but their expressions never changed.

"Please."

"Come closer."

"Help us!"

"Gaaarfiield."

"Raven!" he shouted, but he didn't dare look away. They knew his name.

"Ignore them. They can't touch you," she assured him. Her voice was shaky. Raven's voice should not be shaky.

"You sure about that?"

"We need to wake everyone and get out of here."

"What if they come after us?"

"Now!"

He turned then, desperate to see anything but those terrible faces. Raven was shaking Starfire, but the alien didn't stir. Beast Boy moved over to grasp Robin's shoulder, relieved to find it warm. Ignoring the pleas of the things behind him, he shook Robin rather vigorously. When that failed, he stepped back and morphed into a lion and proceeded to let out the greatest roar he could muster.

The Boy Wonder woke with a start and Beast Boy changed back. Starfire remained unmoving.

"What-?" Robin began.

"No time," Beast Boy interrupted. "Let's go."

"Starfire?" Robin asked, his memory seeming to come back to him.

"She won't wake," Raven confessed.

Robin moved to stand, leaning up against the wall for support before stepping towards the center of the room. "What did you do to her?" he shouted, pouring every ounce of rage into the words.

Beast Boy turned to look at the faces once more. They were no longer smiling.

"Please," one said.

"The girl sustains us."

"But we need more."

"If you want her back, you will have to join her."

"Beast Boy," Raven called. "Go wake the others."

Beast Boy glanced at Raven before looking around the room. The other abducted party guests were slumped up against the walls. They all looked to be asleep, just as Robin and Starfire had been. He only hoped they would wake. He transformed into a spider and moved across to the other side of the room, terrified of attracting the attention of those faces.

"I won't ask again," Robin threatened. His hand gripped something in his pocket.

"Stop!" a high-pitched voice called from above them. Light poured in from a doorway at the top of a set of stairs to the left and a woman in a ball gown climbed down.

"Madame Parise?" Robin asked incredulously.

She didn't address him, instead focusing on the faces at the center of the room. "You said you'd bring her back. Isn't this enough?"

"We are many. Bring us more," they answered.

"You said you would take what you needed," she whispered.

"And so we have."

"How many more?"

"What's going on here?" Robin interrupted.

Madame Parise looked at him then. She spoke softly, almost as if in apology, "They promised to bring her back."

"Who?" Robin asked.

"My sister."

"And you trusted them?"

She didn't reply. Her eyes didn't leave Robin's, but she spoke to the faces once more. "Please, show them. They'll understand."

The center of the room seemed to explode with a bright white light and the Titans turned to watch as the faces cleared and a single form came into view. A young girl, probably no more than 12 years old, stood alone, still surrounded by swirls of blue light. She didn't speak, but she looked around the room for a moment, as if lost, before holding up a hand towards Madame Parise in an attempt to reach out.

"Anne," Madame Parise gasped, her voice breaking.

Beast Boy stood frozen on the other side of the room, watching with fascination. The girl looked so young while Madame Parise looked as if she might faint. He recognized the strained expression on her face immediately as one he'd seen in his own mirror whenever he thought about his parents.

The room was still as everyone waited. No one dared to move or speak. Beast Boy could almost understand, except somehow he knew a piece of the puzzle was missing.


	4. Part IV

**A/N:** The next chapter will most likely be the last. I didn't expect it to get this long, but the story refused to cooperate.

As always, I do not own Teen Titans.

* * *

"That's not your sister," Raven stated, breaking the silence of the room.

Madame Parise turned to face her. "How dare you," she challenged.

"I'm sorry," Raven continued, "but you've been tricked. They can't—"

"Shut up!"

Raven sent a pitying glare in response.

"What did they ask you to do?" Robin cut in, catching on quickly.

Madame Parise turned to stare at the form of her sister once more, tears already beginning to spill from her eyes. If it weren't for his excellent hearing, Beast Boy probably would've missed her answer.

"Souls," she admitted softly. "I only had to bring them souls on All Hallows' Eve." She took in a large gasp of air and brought one hand up to wipe at her eyes before continuing. "I just invited the guests. They said they would do the rest, pick out the brightest and most hopeful, but it was only a few. It was only supposed to be…" She shuddered and paused. "It was just a couple of them and they were lost. They promised that she would come through with them…I just…This was the only way."

"What have they done with Starfire?"

"I don't know," she confessed before moving both hands up to stop her tears. She looked like she might fall over and anything she said next came out in muffled sobs.

Apparently unsure how to help, Robin focused next on the most important problem in his mind at the moment and turned to face Raven. "Anything you can tell me about how to get Starfire back?"

Raven stared at the glowing girl still in the center of the room for a moment, eyes slightly narrowed in concentration. "If they've trapped her soul," she started, "then we need to break their hold on it so she can return. We can't go in after her."

"How?"

Raven shook her head and finally looked at Robin, "I can't really be sure, but we need to work fast. All Hallows' Eve is when the barrier between the living and the dead is at its thinnest."

Robin's face hardened at Raven's words and he approached the center of the room with renewed determination. Once again, his hand reached for his inside jacket pocket. "Let Starfire go," he said, venom laced into his tone.

At his words, the girl in the center of the room disappeared. Beast Boy watched as the swirls multiplied and darkened to a crimson color he could only associate with blood. The faces reappeared and they laughed.

"Poor orphaned boy," one of the voices taunted.

"We will take you to her."

Then, they grew and twisted until all of the faces formed an ethereal body all their own, each part grinning madly. It formed arms that extended out into claws and hind legs that stretched out into bestial proportions. However, it failed to sprout a single head. Instead, the faces continued their great swirling dance above the body like some terrible misrepresentation of a hydra.

Beast Boy watched with wide eyes and backed up to get as far away from the thing as possible until he hit the wall. Then, he heard it shriek, whether in anger or in desperation he couldn't tell, and he cringed at the sound.

It swiped at Robin, who dodged with practiced ease and tossed the smoke bomb in his pocket. Raven threw up a shield of dark energy as it lashed out again while Madame Parise simply stood in shock, terror etched on her face in an expression that might become permanent.

The body turned and moved to grab onto the guests, still sleeping against the wall. Beast Boy leapt into action, morphing into a tiger to try to swipe at the clawed hand. Instead, he collided with another one of Raven's shields, thrust up to block the monster from everyone else. It shrieked again.

"Don't touch it and get them out of here," Raven informed him, now standing directly in front of Starfire. Beast Boy could see Robin ushering Madame Parise back up the stairs, still under cover of the smoke, which had drifted across to cover the passed out guests as well. Quick to take his chance, Beast Boy changed into an elephant and trumpeted out their wake up call. They startled as quickly as Robin had, but remained dazed as Beast Boy returned to human form and began to help them all up. A few began to scream or cry once they realized their situation, but the creature paid them no mind as it traded blows with Raven.

Beast Boy followed Robin's lead in rushing the guests over to the stairs. He nodded as he approached, signaling that he had the civilian situation under control and Robin moved back to assist Raven with a trio of explosive disks, two of which hit each side of the ghostly body. The last one burst near its left foot. Beast Boy saw the Boy Wonder dodge an outstretched claw before he noticed a pulsing green light at the brightest point of the monster's foot.

Robin must've seen it too because he sent another disk flying off in the same direction. However, this time, the foot kicked it back and it exploded beside Raven, causing her to fly back against the wall.

Beast Boy leapt into action. He might not be able to touch the thing, but he would certainly try to distract it. He morphed into a hummingbird and flitted his way past the faces, hoping to catch their attention. A clawed hand reached for him and he dived. A foot rose up to crush him and he somersaulted back again. He circled at the top, briefly hoping he might get it to hit itself as he flew back down again. He heard another explosion, probably from one of Robin's disks, and swooped right to avoid another foot before finding himself headed straight for a clawed hand, palm spread out to grab him.

He'd never been so thankful for the sound of Cyborg's "Booyah!" accompanied by the sight of the sonic cannon hitting the creature's arm. The claw jerked up at the direct hit, allowing Beast Boy to swiftly fly by unharmed.

Out of breath, Beast Boy flew over to the bottom of the stairs and changed back to his human form. "Cy, where you been?"

"Man," Cyborg replied from the top stair before letting off another sonic blast, "this place is one big maze."

The faces shrieked again. This time, it sounded painful.

Beast Boy turned to see Raven standing once more, palms glowing black and mercilessly hurling small chunks from the floor at the body's left foot. The green light shone even more brightly now and Robin almost followed it eagerly as it suddenly zipped out and collided with Starfire's form, still resting against the wall. Once the light settled, Robin tossed one last explosive disk for good measure and rushed over to help her up.

"Star?"

She groaned, "Robin? What is—?"

She was interrupted by the sound of the Raven's shield driving the creature's hand up into the ceiling. It shook violently and poured dust on top of them.

"You have to get out of here, Star," Robin urged. "We've got this."

"Hey!" Cyborg shouted. They turned to look up at him. "I think y'all should move now." He aimed his sonic cannon up at the ceiling.

Robin nodded and helped Starfire up. "Raven!"

She simply waved in acknowledgement, tossing another rock in the process, and began to shift towards the stairs, eyes still trained on the monster. As it reached out once more, Cyborg sent a sonic cannon full blast straight at the ceiling. As expected, it cracked and pieces rapidly began to crumble. Robin and Starfire rushed up the stairs to meet Cyborg. The three stepped up through the door and out of harm's way.

Beast Boy waited at the bottom, hand held out for Raven, who looked thoroughly exhausted. She abandoned her high heels and began to run towards the stairs as well as Beast Boy's waiting hand. He gasped as he saw the claw reach for her back and when it hit her, her eyes went wide with fear and shock. He leapt forward instinctively, transforming into a gorilla to catch and cover her body. The clawed hand held the blue light that was hers, but as it drew back, the ceiling hit the bright spot near its foot with a sharp clatter and the hand disappeared altogether. So, Beast Boy grabbed the blue light and cradled Raven, body and soul, underneath him while everything else fell on top of him.


	5. Part V

**A/N:** The next chapter should be the last one. This story ended up being a bit longer than anticipated.

As always, I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

He gasped.

The pain in his back and his side and his shoulders and his head burst. Then, nothing.

" _Beast Boy!"_

He tried to open his eyes.

He heard someone call out his name. Again? Before? Her voice. He managed to groan, telling her he was okay. They were okay. He shivered. It was dark. Cold.

" _Hold on!"_

Another voice shouted. Not his name. Two voices? Had he fallen asleep? It was still dark and his body felt like it had been split apart and stitched back together with safety pins and barbed wire.

He remembered the ceiling like a bad dream.

He heard her mantra, a prayer just for him. He feared for a moment that he was only imagining it, but then he felt the pain in his back lessen to a dull ache. He could hear the rocks shifting around them. He kept his eyes closed.

" _Garfield?"_

He breathed in the whisper. He breathed out a sigh, relieved. This time his green eyes opened to a pair of violet ones and a halo of purple hair. It was still quite dark, but she was so light. Was he dead?

No, dead people didn't feel pain. Did they? He ached all over.

Another sudden pain in his arm, not really all that sharp, told him he was definitely still alive.

"You idiot," she scolded him. He could see her eyes were sharp now, but still worried. "Why would you do that?"

Beast Boy coughed. His lungs felt like they were full of cobwebs and even the simple movement made his body ache even more fiercely. Still, he grinned.

"Beast Boy strong," he grunted. He brought a hand up and pounded his fist once against his chest. He immediately regretted the action. "Save pretty girl," he managed to finish with another cough and a smirk.

Raven's face could not be any less amused. Honestly, he hadn't realized she could roll her eyes and still look so thoroughly concerned.

"Rae! How is he?"

"He's fine," she answered, briefly looking up behind Beast Boy.

He tried to tilt his head back, but couldn't make out anything but rock. "Um, what happened?"

"The ceiling fell on top of you. Most of it got trapped between those pillars," she nodded upwards and a bit towards his left. "You're lucky."

He nodded and stared at her, remembering only how she fell and the claw. "It got you," he whispered. "You…"

"I'm fine."

"You look exhausted."

Her lack of argument was agreement enough.

"You know, you look worse," she said after a moment.

"Aw, thanks."

She shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

He smiled. The rocks above them shifted again and their miniature cave rumbled. His smile faded and he glanced up, watching the debris anxiously until he heard Robin on the other side.

"I think we're almost through."

Beast Boy let his head fall back down against the ground. No wonder it was taking so long. He supposed there was still a chance they could be crushed, especially with Raven practically drained. She must've used up whatever strength she had left to heal him.

"Rae?"

She looked down at him. He realized that she was gripping his hand pretty tightly.

"You sure you're okay?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"You're holding my hand."

She pulled the offending hand back like he'd burned her.

"No!" He started to sit up. "You don't have to—"

"Stop, you'll hurt yourself."

"It's okay," he winced, sitting up completely.

"Beast Boy."

"Rae."

"It's Raven."

"Rae."

"What?"

She stared at him, frustration and a bit of fear flooding her eyes. Her face was a little dusty now that he looked more closely. Her hair was a mess. Surely, their formalwear was ruined. Beast Boy wasn't torn up about the tux, but the dress…Well, she never would've worn it again anyway. Her shoulders were bare, perhaps a bit bruised. The shawl was probably buried somewhere. He couldn't help but bring the hand that she had been holding up to brush against her arm.

"You saved me," he said.

"We're even."

"Right."

It wasn't enough.

"So, in case we die anyways…" he began.

"Are you serious?"

"Totally."

A couple of rocks tumbled down off to their right. He heard Starfire heaving something large out of the way and Robin cautioning her.

"Beast Boy—"

"Rae."

She scowled.

He grinned a bit stupidly.

Then, he kissed her.

He felt her gasp. He may have taken too big a chance. After all, it wasn't very romantic. Another rock fell. There were pieces of ceiling all around them and there might have been a bit of dried blood in his hair, but the second she leaned forward and kissed him back, none of it mattered. His left hand found hers again and his right hand pulled her closer. She touched his face, sending a spark through his body and it was official. He was in love…or dead. He hadn't entirely thrown out that theory.

Another rumble sounded along with the crack of a fairly large stone hitting the floor. He felt Raven pull back suddenly and opened his eyes to find her staring back at him. She let go of his hand. The noise of the shifting stones was much closer now and when Raven's gaze left his, Beast Boy turned to see a large stone slab being pulled away.

"Are you two alright?" Robin asked, poking his head through to see.

"Just fine," Raven answered quickly, moving her feet to stand up a bit. She wobbled slightly, but ignored Beast Boy's attempt at a steadying hand. She had to crouch as she passed him and approached the newly formed door. Robin helped her step out.

Beast Boy followed, practically crawling to the exit as quickly as possible. He saw Raven float up to the staircase, or what was left of it, as Cyborg reached a hand in to help him up.

"You had us worried there for a sec, grass stain."

"Yeah, sorry," he replied. He let his friend lift him out of the rubble.

"You okay?"

"Way better now that I'm not gonna die in there."

Cyborg simply shook his head and rested a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder as the two headed towards the broken staircase.

Cyborg led everyone back up to the ballroom where the police had already gathered. Previously missing guests were happily reunited with loved ones, visibly shaken but thankfully unharmed. Robin moved to speak with the police chief, Starfire close by his side. After a few moments, Madame Parise, still sobbing softly, was led out the front door by a pair of police officers who looked especially uncomfortable. Beast Boy couldn't help but watch her leave, feeling sort of bad for the poor woman. It was obvious what she'd lost. For once, he kind of hoped she might get out of everything okay in the end, even though she'd almost gotten them killed. He shook his head, trying not to think about it too much, and turned to face Cyborg.

"So, what happened to you, dude?"

"What happened to me?" Cyborg exclaimed. "I had one of her goons trailin' me the whole time. Once I finally got rid of him, I was lost and this place is huge. Good thing ya'll were makin' so much noise, otherwise I'd never have found ya. How'd you two even get down there?"

"We got pulled in as hopeful souls," Raven answered, stepping over to join them.

"I thought it was because of the dancing," Beast Boy admitted, a bit confused.

"But Rob and Star weren't even dancing anymore when they disappeared," Cyborg pointed out.

"But, the waltz?" Beast Boy questioned.

Cyborg shrugged and Raven didn't offer an opinion. They were silent for a bit, each seemingly lost in thought.

"I was right about the ghosts, though," Beast Boy pointed out, a smug smile forming on his face.

Raven rolled her eyes.


	6. Part VI

**A/N:** Last chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews! As a side note, I've only edited previous chapters for typos, spacing, and other small things. I intend to continue this story line for anyone who's interested, though it won't be up for awhile as I'm planning for it to be a longer work. In the mean time, there might be some one-shots. 3

Per usual, I don't own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Well past midnight, the team trudged back into the tower like zombies. The ride home had almost put Beast Boy to sleep, so much so that he made no objections to Robin's insistence on a quick medical check before bed. The Boy Wonder's relief was obvious when Starfire turned out to be perfectly healthy for someone who'd been missing a soul. In the same spirit, Beast Boy found himself letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when Raven's rapidly healing bruises were the only remnant of the ordeal. As a testament to her healing powers, Beast Boy himself only ended up with a couple strained muscles. He was happy to accept one of Cyborg's painkillers for the lingering soreness.

"Just one more thing," Robin said before everyone could leave. He fished around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a shiny, jagged crystal.

"Dude, I'm tired. Can we deal with Star's broken jewelry later?" Beast Boy interrupted.

Robin shot him a look. "I dug this out of the rubble. It's a piece of whatever was keeping those ghosts stable."

"It's a quartz crystal," Raven interjected. "It was enchanted."

"So, you're tellin' me that a rock almost killed people?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, two birds with one stone and all," Beast Boy muttered. Raven shot him a glare.

"Oh, I have heard such an expression!" Starfire added, her easygoing delight shining through the fatigue. "But I do not understand. How is it related to the appearance of ghosts and the stealing of souls?"

Raven continued, "The quartz must have been used as a prison for the spirit that attacked us. It's not a common practice for obvious reasons."

"We need to be sure it won't be able to do any more damage," Robin clarified.

"It's been destroyed, so it shouldn't pose a threat. Either way, now that All Hallows' Eve is over, there's no way for it to be anything more than a broken crystal," Raven finished. Robin nodded, satisfied by the explanation.

"Until next Halloween…" Beast Boy added, trying to make his voice deeper.

"Man, stop trying to be creepy," Cyborg said. "You suck at it."

"You wouldn't say that if it wasn't!"

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Yeah, you're right," Beast Boy conceded with a yawn. Even Cyborg looked shocked by the changeling's unwillingness to argue.

"Alright everyone, get some rest. Training's still on for tomorrow," Robin stated before heading out of the room, crystal still in hand. Everyone else groaned.

Starfire followed him out with an eager look on her face and an earnest goodnight to the rest of the team.

"If we're lucky, she'll convince him otherwise," Cyborg offered hopefully before moving to the door himself. "G'night, y'all."

Raven floated out just behind him and it took Beast Boy a moment to realize she'd left without saying a word. So, naturally, he rushed after her.

"Rae," he called out, spotting her just as she'd reached her door.

She stopped and he heard her sigh. At any other time, he would've brushed off her exasperation, but she looked dead on her feet. For once, he thought maybe it could wait.

"Sorry," he started, "you're probably pretty tired. We can talk in the morning maybe?"

"No."

"No?"

"We should talk now."

He brightened a bit. "Yeah? Sure. Yeah. About—"

"I can't encourage you."

He felt his ears twitch. "What?"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't…" he stared at her in disbelief, but she didn't turn around. "I don't get it."

She sighed. "I can't have you hoping that we'll be anything more than teammates and friends. I never should have...It was all a bit too stressful and I let it get out of hand. I shouldn't have."

When her meaning finally hit him, it was like ice water to the face. For a moment, he'd been so sure. After all, if she really hated him that much, she would've easily thrown him off of her in a second. "So, why did you kiss me back?" he asked.

"I apologize."

"That's it? You're just sorry? 'Cause normally, people don't just accidently kiss someone back unless—"

"Please, Gar," she begged, her voice soft and a bit raspier than usual.

His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

She didn't answer.

"Rae, if I imagined it, then fine, but you can't just say no and not give me a reason."

He heard the wall beside them crack, but he refused to take his eyes off of her. She looked more like a trapped animal than the indifferent teammate she was pretending to be. Cautiously, he reached out a hand to grasp her shoulder. She pulled back quickly at the contact and turned to face him, violet eyes shining.

"It was a mistake. I didn't mean to—"

"Don't lie to me, Rae."

"It's Raven and I'm not lying."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe."

"You look like you're gonna cry."

"I'm exhausted and I just want to go to bed."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why are you so insistent?"

"Because I can't just let this go."

"You have to," she shouted at him. The crack on the wall spread.

"But why?"

"We can't, Gar. No matter what either of us wants, it can't happen."

"Rae, you can't be serious."

"It's too dangerous. I can't risk everything for this. I'm sorry."

"But we already have."

"Stop it," she scoffed. "This doesn't have to change things if—"

"What if I want it to change?"

"It's too much, Garfield!"

A lightbulb down the hall burst. Beast Boy only watched her in silent disbelief.

"I didn't want you to find out because I'm not ready. I…" Her eyes looked at him with more sadness than he'd ever seen before. "I don't know if I'll ever be." She turned abruptly to face her door again and opened it, slamming it closed again with a burst of power.

Beast Boy stood staring at the closed door, still as a statue, willing her to come back. So, he hadn't been wrong at all. He'd pushed her to tell him, but now it was like she'd held out her affection as his prize only to rip it back again, just out of reach. It was like being told his princess was in another castle, but there was no other castle. The worst part of it all, though, was that she'd almost cracked under the weight of it. Immovable, unflappable Raven was distressed because she cared and she didn't want to. He didn't know how to take it.

He stayed at the door until he heard her voice reciting the familiar mantra. She wouldn't be coming back out and his very presence was probably doing nothing to help. So, he dragged himself down the hall and into his own room, tossing off the uncomfortable tie and jacket before the door had even closed behind him. He let the softness of his mattress envelop him and roughly tried to toe off the dress shoes, which only resulted in him sitting up again to rip them off a bit angrily. He tossed them against the wall in retaliation then flopped back onto his back.

He was so tired, but his thoughts threatened to crush him and it felt like the top bunk of his bed might fall down with them. He should ask Cyborg to take the bunk beds down for him, anyway. He always hit his head in the mornings whenever he fell asleep on the bottom bunk. After a minute of staring, he lifted himself up and climbed to the top bunk, pulling back the sheets and wrapping them around his body like a cocoon. He didn't care how dirty he was. He would wash the sheets tomorrow because Beast Boy washed sheets now. Not well, but he washed them. Now, he just needed to pretend nothing bad had happened.

So, he ignored the fading pain in his limbs and the dizzying pain in his heart. He listened to the crash of waves outside his window. He willed himself to think of nothing else and, in his exhausted state, he slept soundly. In his dreams, he danced without ghosts, without fear, and with no one else but a half-demon, dressed in stars.


End file.
